America has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to public golf. You don't need a country club membership or a seven-figure net worth to play world-class courses — you just need to know where to look and how to book.
We've curated a standout public course from every state. These aren't just good — they're the kind of tracks that make you rethink your weekend plans, rebook flights, or plan entire vacations around. Some are famous. Some are hidden gems. All of them are open to anyone who can grab a tee time.
The West
Alaska — Moose Run Golf Course (Creek Course), Anchorage
Golf under the midnight sun is a bucket-list experience you didn't know you needed. The Creek Course at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson winds through birch and spruce forest with the Chugach Mountains as your backdrop. Yes, moose occasionally wander the fairways. Green fees are absurdly reasonable for a course this scenic.
Arizona — We-Ko-Pa Golf Club (Saguaro Course), Scottsdale
Carved through the Sonoran Desert on Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation land, the Saguaro Course is a Coore & Crenshaw masterpiece. Massive saguaro cacti line the fairways, and the routing makes every hole feel like you're alone in the desert. Consistently ranked among the top public courses in the country.
California — Torrey Pines (South Course), San Diego
You've watched the pros play it. Now it's your turn. The South Course at Torrey Pines sits on ocean bluffs above the Pacific, and it's as challenging and beautiful as it looks on TV. San Diego residents get a slight booking advantage, but it's open to everyone. Worth every penny of the green fee.
Colorado — The Broadmoor (East Course), Colorado Springs
Mountain golf at its finest. The East Course plays through towering Ponderosa pines at 6,400 feet of elevation, where your drives carry an extra 10% and the views of Cheyenne Mountain never get old. The resort setting means pristine conditioning year-round.
Hawaii — Mauna Kea Golf Course, Big Island
Robert Trent Jones Sr. built this course on a lava field in 1964 and it's still jaw-dropping. The par-3 third hole plays over the Pacific Ocean and is one of the most photographed holes in golf. The entire layout is a blend of volcanic rock, tropical vegetation, and ocean panoramas.
Oregon — Bandon Dunes (Bandon Dunes Course), Bandon
The course that started the American links revival. Perched on cliffs above the Pacific, Bandon Dunes plays firm and fast in the Scottish tradition. Walking only, no carts, no pretension — just pure golf. If you haven't been, put it at the top of your list. Book well in advance; it fills up months ahead.
Washington — Chambers Bay, University Place
Host of the 2015 U.S. Open, Chambers Bay is a links-style course built on a reclaimed gravel mine along Puget Sound. The fescue fairways, massive undulations, and views of the Puget Sound make it unlike anything else in the Pacific Northwest. Walking only, caddie recommended.
The South
Alabama — Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail (Ross Bridge), Hoover
The RTJ Trail is Alabama's best-kept secret in golf, and Ross Bridge is the crown jewel. At over 8,100 yards from the tips, it's one of the longest courses in the world. The castle-style clubhouse and 259-yard par 3 are unforgettable. Green fees that would barely cover a cart rental in Scottsdale.
Florida — Streamsong (Red Course), Bowling Green
Built on a former phosphate mine in central Florida, Streamsong defied every expectation. The Red Course (Coore & Crenshaw) features rolling dunes and sandy waste areas that look like they belong in the Scottish Highlands, not two hours from Orlando. All three courses here are exceptional.
Georgia — Reynolds Lake Oconee (The Oconee Course), Greensboro
A Rees Jones design that plays along the shores of Lake Oconee with strategic bunkering and pristine conditioning. The par-3s are particularly strong, each offering lake views and genuine risk-reward decisions.
North Carolina — Pinehurst No. 2, Pinehurst
The restored Donald Ross masterpiece is American golf's cathedral. The crowned greens are famously tricky — you can hit the green and watch your ball funnel 30 yards into a sandy waste area. It's humbling, addictive, and the most important course in American public golf history. Not cheap, but bucket-list essential.
South Carolina — Kiawah Island (Ocean Course), Kiawah Island
Site of the legendary 1991 "War on the Shore" Ryder Cup. Every hole offers ocean views, and the wind off the Atlantic can turn this Pete Dye design from merely tough to absolutely brutal. One of the great experiences in American golf, public or private.
Texas — Whispering Pines Golf Club, Trinity
Set in the piney woods of East Texas, Whispering Pines has been ranked the #1 public course in Texas by multiple publications. The Chet Williams design is immaculate — rolling fairways, strategic bunkering, and a level of conditioning you rarely see outside private clubs.
The Northeast
Maine — Sunday River Golf Club, Newry
Robert Trent Jones Jr. carved this course through the Mahoosuc mountain range, and the elevation changes are stunning. Plays through forests and across streams with views that peak during fall foliage season. One of the most scenic courses in New England.
Massachusetts — Pinehills Golf Club (Nicklaus Course), Plymouth
Jack Nicklaus designed this course through the cranberry bogs and pine forests south of Boston. It's a strategic layout that rewards thinking over power, with some of the best green complexes on any public course in the northeast.
New Jersey — Crystal Springs (Ballyowen), Hamburg
A links-style course in the mountains of northern New Jersey. Roger Rulewich designed it with wide fairways, deep bunkers, and fescue rough that punishes wayward shots. The mountain setting gives it an isolated, away-from-it-all feel despite being 50 miles from Manhattan.
New York — Bethpage Black, Farmingdale
The people's country club. A.W. Tillinghast's brutal masterpiece on Long Island has hosted two U.S. Opens and plays tougher than most private courses in the country. The famous sign at the first tee — "WARNING: The Black Course Is an Extremely Difficult Course Which We Recommend Only for Highly Skilled Golfers" — is not a joke. Green fee: $75 for NY residents. Good luck booking it.
The Midwest
Indiana — French Lick Resort (Pete Dye Course), French Lick
Pete Dye built this course on a ridgeline with panoramic views of the Hoosier National Forest. The routing features dramatic elevation changes and Dye's trademark railroad ties. It's remote, it's challenging, and it's absolutely worth the drive.
Michigan — Arcadia Bluffs, Arcadia
Perched 200 feet above Lake Michigan, Arcadia Bluffs combines links-style golf with Great Lakes scenery that rivals anything on the coasts. The clifftop holes along the lake are among the most dramatic in American golf. The newer South Course offers a different but equally compelling experience.
Minnesota — The Wilderness at Fortune Bay, Tower
Located in northern Minnesota's Iron Range country, this Jeff Brauer design meanders through boreal forest and along the shores of Lake Vermilion. Remote doesn't begin to describe it — and that's part of the charm. Some of the best public golf value in the country.
Wisconsin — Whistling Straits (Straits Course), Kohler
Built along Lake Michigan's shore by Pete Dye for Herb Kohler, the Straits Course has hosted three PGA Championships and the 2021 Ryder Cup. The faux-links layout features over 1,000 bunkers (some hidden) and a walking-only policy that makes the lakefront experience feel authentically Scottish.
How to Actually Play These Courses
Knowing about great courses is one thing. Actually getting on them is another.
The most in-demand courses on this list — Bethpage Black, Pebble Beach, Bandon Dunes, Pinehurst No. 2 — book up fast. Some fill up months in advance. Others sell out within minutes of the booking window opening.
Your best strategies:
- Book early. The moment the booking window opens, be ready. Know the exact date and time reservations become available.
- Monitor cancellations. Sold-out courses see constant cancellations. A tool like BirdiePing monitors over 4,400 courses every 60 seconds and alerts you when a tee time opens up, so you don't have to obsessively refresh booking pages.
- Be flexible. Tuesday morning at a great course beats Saturday morning at a mediocre one. Twilight rounds in summer can get you the full 18 at a fraction of the cost.
- Travel midweek. Fly in Monday, play Tuesday-Thursday, save hundreds on green fees and actually get the times you want.
Every course on this list is available on BirdiePing's course directory, where you can set up alerts for specific courses, dates, and time preferences across all 50 states.
The Bottom Line
Public golf in America has never been better. From coastal links to mountain courses to desert masterpieces, there's a world-class round waiting for you in every state. The only question is which one you'll play first.
Stop scrolling. Start booking. Your next great round is out there.